Fight Back(2019-04-19). U of MN protesters outnumber attendees at Jeff Sessions talk.fightbacknews.orgMinneapolis, MN – Both Donald Trump and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke in Minnesota, April 15, and both were met with protest and disruption upon arrival. Trump spoke outside of a truck equipment company in the Twin Cities suburb of Burnsville and was met by activists denouncing his anti-immigrant policies and defending progressive Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. | Jeff Sessions was met with even larger crowds as protesters outnumbered attendees at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, where he was slated to speak to a "sold out" crowd, but which ultimately had fewer than one-thir…

Andrew Levine(2019-04-19). What Will It Take For Trump to Get His Due?counterpunch.org It is hard to recall now but before the 2016 election, blatant contempt for the rule of law and other longstanding (small-r) republican values, public displays of stupidity, extreme character flaws, and irrefutable evidence of psychological instability could wreck a presidential campaign; and it was practically axiomatic that no presidency could be headed by anyone More

Staff(2019-04-19). Biden Expected to Launch Presidential Campaign Next Week.truthdig.comWASHINGTON—Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to join the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race next week. | The decision answers one of the most significant outstanding questions of the early presidential primary season, which has already seen announcements from 18 high-profile Democrats. Biden, 76, would be the oldest and most experienced politician in the race. | His plans were confirmed by three people with knowledge, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The announcement is expected as early as Wednesday and would cap months of deliberation over his…

Staff(2019-04-19). Stop & Shop Strikers Are Standing Up for All Grocery Workers.truthout.orgThe current New England grocery workers' strike will likely have long-lasting national significance. The strike that started April 11 with 31,000 Stop & Shop grocery workers at about 240 supermarkets in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut is about to enter its second week. It is the largest private-sector strike in the United States since 2017 and the largest strike in the U.S. retail sector since the Southern California grocery workers' strike of 2003-2004. | The strike is an important political event. Over the past few days, several Democratic presidential candidates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren,…

Kalena Thomhave(2019-04-19). Democrats Battle Over How to Raise the Minimum Wage.commondreams.orgThe call for a $15 minimum wage is getting louder, and more people are hearing it. The Fight for $15 has won numerous victories, as states (including California and New York) and localities have passed their own laws to institute a $15 minimum wage—or even higher.

Dan Bacher(2019-04-19). U.S. Senate Confirms Oil Lobbyist David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary.counterpunch.orgThe U.S. Senate on April 11 voted 56-41 to confirm President Trump's nominee David Bernhardt, former oil and gas corporation and Westlands Water District lobbyist David Bernhardt, to be the Secretary of the Interior. Senators Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), as well as Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), joined Senate Republicans More

Staff(2019-04-19). House Escalates Trump Inquiry With Subpoena for Full Mueller Report.truthdig.comWASHINGTON—The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump. | "It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1. | While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress. | Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Tr…

Rachel M. Cohen(2019-04-19). House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Is Facing a Primary Challenge.theintercept.comMckayla Wilkes, a 28-year-old administrative assistant, part-time student, and mother of two, has had enough. In late March, she announced that she was mounting a bid for Maryland's 5th Congressional District, aiming to unseat one of the oldest and most powerful Democratic members, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Wilkes is running on a host of progressive policies, but plans to put particular focus on Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and affordable housing. | A student of political science, Wilkes hasn't formerly been involved in politics before, but thinks t…

Kevin Gosztola(2019-04-19). On WikiLeaks Email Releases, Mueller Team Ignored Findings Of Former US Intelligence Officials.shadowproof.com Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on an investigation into alleged Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election does not confirm, without a doubt, that Russian intelligence agents or individuals tied to Russian intelligence agencies passed on emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign to WikiLeaks. | Mueller's team highlighted statements from WikiLeaks on Twitter about former Democratic National Committee (DNC) staff member Seth Rich, which seemed to relate to the alleged source of emails and documents the organization published. Yet, more explicit claims from WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Ass…

Ramzy Baroud(2019-04-18). War Versus Peace: Israel Has Decided and So Should We.dissidentvoice.orgSo, what have we learned from the Israeli legislative elections on April 9? A whole lot. To start with, don't let such references as the "tight race" between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his main rival, Benny Gantz, fool you. Yes, Israelis are divided on some issues that are particular to their social and …

Democracy Now!(2019-04-18). Noam Chomsky: The Green New Deal Is Exactly the Right Idea.democracynow.org Supporters of the Green New Deal are launching a nationwide tour Thursday to build support for the congressional resolution to transform the U.S. economy through funding renewable energy while ending U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Democracy Now! spoke with Noam Chomsky about the Green New Deal and the lessons of the old New Deal in Boston last week.

Democracy Now!(2019-04-18). "A Message from the Future with AOC": New Film Imagines World Transformed by the Green New Deal.democracynow.org As the push for the Green New Deal builds momentum in the United States, The Intercept has released a short illustrated video imagining a future shaped by the progressive environmental movement. It's titled "A Message from the Future with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez." The New York congressmember narrates the film to envision an America that has been transformed by the Green New Deal policies, including a just transition of jobs, Medicare for all, and a total overhaul of the country's energy system. The result is a vision of radical hope and transformation. The film features stunning artwork by award-winning illustra…

Mark Gruenberg(2019-04-18). Barr's claims vs. Mueller's facts: The Trump-Russia saga isn't over yet.peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Skepticism from Congress and legal analysts about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian disruption of the 2016 presidential election, and then GOP-nominee Donald Trump's role in the saga, means the story isn't over yet. And that's even after Attorney General William Barr, whom now-President Trump chose, repeatedly declared at an April 18 press conference, …

United Nations(2019-04-18). Service and Sacrifice: Ugandan 'Blue Helmets' support UN efforts to bring peace to Somalia.un.orgA contingent of 530 Ugandan "Blue Helmets" (63 women, 467 men) is playing a crucial role in the United Nations' efforts to help bring peace and stability to Somalia. They make up the United Nations Guard Unit (UNGU, that is tasked with protecting UN compounds in Mogadishu in order to assist the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) to carry out their mandate.

Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet(2019-04-18). NAACP BLASTS WOEFULLY DEFICIENT RELEASE OF MUELLER REPORT.naacp.orgFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2019 CONTACTS: NAACP@sunshinesachs.com BALTIMORE — Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, issued the following statement regarding U.S. Attorney General William Barr's release of the redacted version of Special counsel Robert Mueller's report: "The report released today by Attorney General William Barr falls woefully short of what is owed to Congress and …

The Real News Network(2019-04-18). Pompeo is "Setting the Stage for a War with Iran"globalresearch.caLast week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested that the Trump administration would not rule out going to war with Iran even though there is no explicit authorization from Congress to do so. Pompeo said this in the context …

Caitlin Johnstone(2019-04-18). Debunking the "Assange is a Russian Agent" Smear.theantimedia.com(CJ Opinion) — Not even the US government alleges that WikiLeaks knowingly coordinated with the Kremlin in the 2016 publication of Democratic Party emails; the Robert Mueller Special Counsel alleged only that Guccifer 2.0 was the source of those emails and that Guccifer 2.0 was a persona covertly operated by Russian conspirators. The narrative that Assange worked for or …